ABSTRACT
New mothers are particularly vulnerable to psychological and commercial activ ities, such as providing free or subsidised supplies of infant formula; bottles and teats on maternity wards must have eroded the confidence and good intentions of many mothers to breastfeed. Clearly, for the minority of children who cannot be breast fed, infant formula is an important product. However, sales and promotional activities relating to infant formulas have sometimes been based on false claims as to its value in comparison to that of breast milk. It is of no small interest that included in the provisions of the Code is the statement that health facilities must never be involved in the promotion of breast-milk substitutes and that free samples should never be given to pregnant women or new mothers!
